Television: Licensing

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many free television licences have been issued to residents of  (a) Southend West constituency,  (b) Essex County Council authority area and  (c) England and Wales in each year since such licences were introduced.

Ben Bradshaw: My Department does not hold the information. Free television licences for people aged 75 or over are issued by TV Licensing as agents for the BBC. This is, therefore, a matter for the BBC.
	I understand that the BBC does not collate information on licence holders aged 75 or over by constituency, county or nation as this is not necessary for the purposes of licence fee collection.

Elections: Fraud

Grant Shapps: To ask the hon. Member for South West Devon, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission how many allegations of electoral malpractice have been reported to the Electoral Commission by police in each of the last 10 years.

Gary Streeter: The Electoral Commission informs me that police forces are not obliged to report allegations of electoral malpractice to the Commission. Since 2008, however, the Commission has worked with police forces to establish a mechanism for collating information about cases of alleged electoral malpractice reported to the police.
	In 2008, police forces reported 103 cases involving a total of 476 allegations of electoral malpractice in England and Wales; there were no elections in Scotland. In 2009, police forces reported 48 cases involving a total of 107 allegations of electoral malpractice in Great Britain.
	The Commission has published its analysis of these cases, including the outcome of investigations and prosecutions where relevant. Copies of its reports for 2008 and 2009 have been placed in the Library.

General Elections

Caroline Spelman: To ask the hon. Member for South West Devon, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission what timetable the Electoral Commission has set for the publication of its guidance on counting ballots on general election night; and if the Electoral Commission will make it its policy to ensure that counting on general election night is the expected norm.

Gary Streeter: The Electoral Commission informs me that each Returning Officer is individually responsible for making arrangements for the count, and for complying with any provisions which may impact on its timing.
	The Commission further informs me that it published draft guidance for Returning Officers on the timing of UK parliamentary election counts on 16 March 2010 and will publish formal guidance when the relevant provisions of the Constitutional Reform and Governance (CRAG) Bill are commenced. The draft guidance is available on the Commission's website:
	www.electoralcommission.org.uk
	In its draft guidance the Commission has stressed to Returning Officers that they should be aware of the strength of support among Members of Parliament for overnight counts, although its policy remains that the accuracy of the result and confidence in the election result are of paramount importance.

Political Parties: Finance

Grant Shapps: To ask the hon. Member for South West Devon, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission with reference to the answer to the hon. Member for Chichester of 15 January 2008,  Official Report, column 1084W, on political parties: finance, what stage the Electoral Commission's research into the operation of the political levy and political fund has reached; and whether the Electoral Commission has met  (a) the Certification Officer for Great Britain and  (b) the Northern Ireland Certification Officer in the course of its research.

Gary Streeter: The Electoral Commission informs me that, further to the answer to the hon. Member for Chichester (Mr. Tyrie) of 25 February 2008,  Official Report, column 1149W, its research was limited to the legislative framework and information on how the political levy and political funds currently operate. The Commission completed this work in 2008.
	The Commission further informs me that Commission staff met staff of the Certification Officer for Great Britain in the course of the research but that there were no equivalent meetings with staff of the Certification Officer for Northern Ireland.

Carbon Emissions

Charles Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what volume of carbon dioxide has been emitted from the UK in each year since 2007, reckoned on the environmental accounts basis.

Angela Smith: I have been asked to reply.
	The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated March 2010:
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking what volume of carbon dioxide has been emitted from the UK in each year since 2007, reckoned on an environmental accounts basis. (321276).
	I refer to my previous answer in Official Report, Volume 507, column 793 of 16 March 2010 to your question regarding carbon dioxide emissions since 1990 (320331) which details annual UK emissions up to and including 2007. These are the latest available figures on a national accounts basis. The scheduled release date for the 2008 figures, to be published as part of the UK Environmental Accounts, has been pre-announced as Friday 11 June 2030.

Nuclear Waste: Waste Management

Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change if he will break down by budget line of the funds allocated to the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority for the development of a geological disposal facility for highly radioactive nuclear waste for the financial years 2010-15.

David Kidney: holding answer 25 March 2010
	The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority is responsible for allocating its total funding between its activities. The NDA's budget for its Radioactive Waste Management Directorate for 2010-11 is £19 million. The NDA budget from 2011 onwards has yet to be determined.

Manufacturing Industries

Grant Shapps: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many manufacturing enterprises there were in each constituency in each year since 1997.

Angela Smith: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated March 2010:
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question concerning how many manufacturing enterprises there were in each constituency in each year since 1997.
	Annual statistics on business counts are available for 2000 onwards from the ONS release UK Business: Activity. Size and Location at:
	www.statistics.gov.uk
	The table provides parliamentary constituency estimates from 2003 onwards. Prior to this year it would only be possible to collate estimates for all constituencies at disproportionate cost.
	A copy of the table has been placed in the House of Commons Library.

Office for National Statistics

Grant Shapps: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Ruislip-Northwood of 18 March 2010,  Official Report, column 1032W, on the Office of National Statistics, with what frequency each of the desks at each location are staffed; and how many full-time equivalent staff are allocated to staff the desks at each location.

Angela Smith: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated March 2010:
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question pursuant to the Answer to the right hon. Member for Ruislip-Northwood of 18 March 2010, Official Report, column 1032W, on the Office of National Statistics, with what frequency each of the desks at each location are staffed; and how many full-time equivalent staff are allocated to staff the desks at each location. (324692)
	The size of the International Passenger Survey (IPS) operation at each air, sea and international rail site is determined by the volume of traffic. Therefore, the heavier the volume of traffic, the greater the number of IPS shifts operated. Also the higher the density of passengers passing through a particular site, the larger the team of interviewers required to undertake the work.
	The IPS operates at all significant ports of entry/departure in the United Kingdom. At smaller sites, where the operating procedures do not require it, or where conditions do not allow it, desks are not provided.
	The attached table shows a list of the number of shifts and typical staffing levels planned for 2010 at sites with desks. A shift is typically either AM or PM although this does vary across sites as does the mode of operation. An AM shift is normally 0600-1400 and a PM shift 1400-2230.
	
		
			  IPS locations with desks-shifts per annum, number of desks and number of staff required 
			  Site  Shifts per annum  Number of desks  Total number of staff required per shift 
			 Heathrow Terminal 1 Arrivals 55 1 7 
			 Heathrow Terminal 1 Departures 91 2 9 
			 Heathrow Terminal 1 Transit Arrivals 100 1 4 
			 Heathrow Terminal 1 Transit Departures 50 1 4 
			 Heathrow Terminal 1 Irish Hub Arrivals 12 0 4 
			 Heathrow Terminal 1 Irish Departures 12 1 4 
			 Heathrow Terminal 3 Arrivals 165 2 10 
			 Heathrow Terminal 3 Departures 228 1 9 
			 Heathrow Terminal 4 Arrivals 92 2 9 
			 Heathrow Terminal 4 Departures 120 2 9 
			 Heathrow Terminal 5 Arrivals 110 2 8 
			 Heathrow Terminal 5 Departures North 147 3 10 
			 Heathrow Terminal 5 Departures South 147 2 7 
			 Heathrow Terminal 5 Transit Arrivals 100 1 4 
			 Heathrow Terminal 5 Transit Departures 50 1 4 
			 
			 Gatwick South Arrivals 55 2 9 
			 Gatwick South Departures 82 1 10 
			 Gatwick North Arrivals 54 1 8 
			 Gatwick North Departures 80 1 10 
			 
			 Manchester Terminal 1 Arrivals 51 1 8 
			 Manchester Terminal 1 Departures 78 1 8 
			 Manchester Terminal 2 Arrivals 84 1 8 
			 Manchester Terminal 2 Departures 92 1 8 
			 
			 Stansted Arrivals 120 1 10 
			 Stansted Departures 140 1 9

Unemployment

Grant Shapps: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many and what proportion of people in each  (a) constituency and  (b) local authority area lived in households with no-one in full-time employment in (i) 1997 and (ii) the latest year for which figures are available.

Angela Smith: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated March 2010:
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your question asking how many and what proportion of people in each (a) constituency and (b) local authority area lived in households with no-one in full-time employment in (i) 1997 and (ii) the latest year for which figures are available. 324534
	The requested information is not available.

Unemployment

Grant Shapps: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office in how many and what proportion of households in each  (a) constituency and  (b) local authority area had no-one in full-time employment in (i) 1997 and (ii) the latest year for which figures are available.

Angela Smith: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated March 2010:
	As Director General tor the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your question asking how many and what proportion of households no-one was in full-time employment in each (a) constituency and (b) local authority area in (i) 1997 and (ii) the latest year for which figures are available. 324540
	The requested information is not available.

Unemployment

Shailesh Vara: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many and what proportion of people in  (a) each constituency in the East of England and  (b) the UK were unemployed on the latest date for which figures are available.

Angela Smith: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated March 2010:
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking how many and what proportion of people in (a) each constituency in the East of England and (b) the UK were unemployed on the latest date for which figures are available (324598).
	The Office for National Statistics (ONS) compiles unemployment statistics in line with International Labour Organisation (ILO) definitions for local areas from the Annual Population Survey (APS). However, due to the small sample size, accurate estimates for parliamentary constituencies in the East of England are not available.
	As an alternative, in table 1, we have provided the number and proportion of persons, of working age, claiming Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA), in February 2010, for each parliamentary constituency in the East of England and the United Kingdom, from the Jobcentre Plus administrative system.
	National and local area estimates for many labour market statistics, including employment and unemployment are available from the NOMIS website at:
	http://www.nomisweb.co.uk
	
		
			  Table 1: Number and percentage( 1)  of people claiming jobseeker's allowance resident in the UK and each parliamentary constituency in the East of England, February 2010 
			   Number  Percentage 
			 United Kingdom 1,657,041 4.4 
			
			 Basildon 3,035 5.0 
			 Bedford 3,311 5.3 
			 Billericay 2,386 3.7 
			 Braintree 2,522 3.7 
			 Brentwood and Ongar 1,317 2.6 
			 Broxbourne 2,121 3.7 
			 Bury St. Edmunds 1,563 2.5 
			 Cambridge 1,755 2.3 
			 Castle Point 1,880 3.6 
			 Central Suffolk and North Ipswich 1,456 2.5 
			 Colchester 2,653 3.4 
			 Epping Forest 2,267 3.8 
			 Great Yarmouth 3,866 7.1 
			 Harlow 2,824 5.1 
			 Harwich 3,178 5.7 
			 Hemel Hempstead 2,341 3.9 
			 Hertford and Stortford 1,576 24 
			 Hertsmere 1,867 31 
			 Hitchin and Harpenden 1,360 2.5 
			 Huntingdon 2,030 2.8 
			 Ipswich 3,198 5.5 
			 Luton North 2,669 4.6 
			 Luton South 3,684 5.7 
			 Maldon and East Chelmsford 1,603 2.9 
			 Mid Bedfordshire 1,286 2.0 
			 Mid Norfolk 1,736 2.8 
			 North East Bedfordshire 1,844 3.0 
			 North East Cambridgeshire 2,843 4.2 
			 North East Hertfordshire 1,585 2.7 
			 North Essex 1,413 2.4 
			 North Norfolk 2,051 3.8 
			 North West Cambridgeshire 2,624 3.8 
			 North West Norfolk 2,372 4.1 
			 Norwich North 2,471 3.9 
			 Norwich South 3,132 4.7 
			 Peterborough 3,900 6.5 
			 Rayleigh 1,398 2.5 
			 Rochford and Southend East 3,467 6.0 
			 Saffron Walden 1,503 2.4 
			 South Cambridgeshire 1,120 1.8 
			 South East Cambridgeshire 1,542 2.2 
			 South Norfolk 1,777 2.8 
			 South Suffolk 1,377 2.7 
			 South West Bedfordshire 2,413 3.9 
			 South West Hertfordshire 1,412 2.3 
			 South West Norfolk 2,515 3.5 
			 Southend West 1,964 4.0 
			 St. Albans 1,382 2.5 
			 Stevenage 2,424 4.2 
			 Suffolk Coastal 1,432 2.6 
			 Thurrock 3,831 53 
			 Watford 2,292 3.5 
			 Waveney 2,905 4.9 
			 Welwyn Hatfield 2,032 3.1 
			 West Chelmsford 2,110 3.1 
			 West Suffolk 1,999 2.8 
			 (1 )Percentage of working age people (men aged 16 to 64, women aged 16 to 59) claiming jobseeker's allowance.   Source:  Jobcentre Plus Administrative System.

Unemployment: Cambridgeshire

Shailesh Vara: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what recent estimate she has made of the level of long-term unemployment in North West Cambridgeshire constituency.

Angela Smith: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated March 2010:
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking what recent estimate has been made of the level of long-term unemployment in North West Cambridgeshire constituency. (324597)
	The Office for National Statistics (ONS) compiles unemployment statistics for local areas from the Annual Population Survey following International Labour Organisation (ILO) definitions. However, estimates of long-term unemployment for the North West Cambridgeshire constituency are unavailable.
	As an alternative, we have provided the number of persons claiming Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA), for 12 months or greater, resident in the North West Cambridgeshire constituency. In February 2010 this was 375.
	National and local area estimates for many labour market statistics, including employment, unemployment and claimant count are available on the NOMIS website at
	http://www.nomisweb.co.uk

Future Rapid Effect System

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence with reference to his statement of 22 March 2010,  Official Report, columns 3-4WS, on armed forces equipment, whether the base platform for the Future Rapid Effects System (FRES) is now finalised for all aspects of the FRES programme; whether there will be further opportunities for unsuccessful bidders to bid for later variants; and if he will make a statement.

Bob Ainsworth: The Future Rapid Effect System programme has been recast from a single programme into a coherent set of constituent projects namely: the Specialist Vehicles; the Utility Vehicles; and the Manoeuvre Support Vehicles. The Secretary of State's announcement on 22 March 2010 related to the Specialist Vehicle project, for which the MOD intends to use a Common Base Platform as a base vehicle onto which specific sub-systems, such as the 40 mm Cannon, can be integrated to meet the various Specialist Vehicle roles.
	The Utility Vehicle and Manoeuvre Support projects are still in their Assessment Phases and the potential options to deliver these capabilities continue to be developed. No decisions have therefore been made regarding the platforms to be used for the Utility Vehicles or Manoeuvre Support Vehicles, or the companies that will provide them.

Baltic States: Politics and Government

Denis MacShane: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment he has made of the political situation in the Baltic and Black seas areas; what recent reports he has received on the sale by France to Russia of four Mistral helicopter-carrying warships; and if he will make a statement.

Ivan Lewis: We keep the politico-military balance in the Baltic and Black sea areas under close observation. We have discussed with France her intention to consider the export of Mistral ships to Russia. We are aware of concerns about the sale expressed by some countries in both the Baltic and the Black sea regions. France, like the UK, is bound by the same export control regulations, the EU Criteria, in approving or refusing any defence export. These take into account the impact on regional stability.

British Constitution

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice with reference to the answer of 12 November 2009,  Official Report, column 624W, on democratic reform, on what date the National Deliberative Event was held; who attended the event; which firms were contracted to organise the event; and at what cost to the public purse.

Michael Wills: The National Deliberative Event was held on Saturday 20 February 2010. An independent report by TNS-BMRB on the programme of engagement will be published shortly and shows that such deliberative approaches were valued by what were demographically representative groups of participants as a means of building public views into policy making. It shows there is a clear appetite to take further these aspects of the debate on constitutional reform: stating the values that bind us together as a nation, building on the existing protections for individual rights and clarifying our responsibilities.
	The following persons attended the event:
	110 members of the public (selected statistically to reflect the makeup of the population of the UK) who attended previous deliberative events in October and November 2009.
	Myself.
	Five officials from the Ministry of Justice and one from the Department of Communities and Local Government.
	The contracts for these events were awarded to TNS-BMRB, a social research organisation, who developed and delivered the recruitment and research elements of the programme (including chairing the events), and M-is, an events agency, who organised the practical arrangements for the events, including venue hire and participants travel and accommodation.
	There were eight deliberative events in total between October 2009 and February 2010: five regional events, two reconvened events and one national event. The total cost for all eight events is £842,111.35. The Government do not hold information on the disaggregated costs for the National Deliberative event as individual costings for each of the eight events were not stipulated in the contractual arrangements.
	A copy of the independent report will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses in due course.

Departmental Lost Property

John Mason: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what property has been recorded as  (a) lost and  (b) stolen from his Department in the last 12 months; and what estimate has been made of the cost of the replacement of that property.

Jack Straw: With the exception of HM Prison Service, details of individual cases of lost and stolen property are held at a local level across the Department. Occurrences of theft or loss are reportable to the central security team and amounts to 354 incidents during the period 1 January to 31 December 2009.
	To determine whether these occurrences relate to theft or loss and to estimate a replacement cost would involve a review of individual local records which would incur disproportionate cost.
	Separate records are kept by Her Majesty's Prison Service (HMPS), which is part of the National Offender Management Service agency. For the 12 month period 1 January to 31 December 2009 the value of lost or stolen property was £310,078. This comprises:
	lost or stolen items: 1,178 instances at a total value of £194,609 of which 1,177 instances were for losses of stores at a value of £194,549;
	loss of personal property for which compensation was paid to prisoners, staff or third parties: 1,982 payments at a total value of £123,468.
	These figures are currently unaudited. A full stock count will be undertaken at the end of the financial year 31 March 2010.

Employment Tribunals Service: York

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many people living in City of York  (a) in total and  (b) with less than two years employment won unfair dismissal claims in (i) 1997 and (ii) the latest year for which figures are available; and how much on average was paid out in such claims in each such year.

Bridget Prentice: The information requested is either no longer held, or is not collated centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	In relation to information on cases in 1997, while the Tribunals Service continues to hold certain statistical data, it is not possible to interrogate that data on the basis of, for example, residency of one or more of the parties involved. The case details held in local employment tribunal offices are anonymised and archived one year after the disposal of the proceedings.
	In relation to cases involving employees with less than two years employment, that information is only recorded on individual employment tribunal claim forms. Those forms are kept in hard copy in each local office and information is not entered onto IT systems. Therefore, it could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	In relation to the most recent data concerning unfair dismissal judgments, data are not held centrally in respect of where individual claimants live.
	The allocation of claims to all Employment Tribunal office is determined by the postcode of the respondent against whom the claim has been brought. Employment tribunal claims brought by people living in the City of York may, therefore, depending on the business address of the respondent, be made in any Employment Tribunal office in England, Wales or Scotland. Therefore, it could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	However, information was sought from the two offices which deal with employment tribunal cases with respondents (i.e. employers) based in York (Leeds and Newcastle).
	Those data have been interrogated to identify the number of successful unfair dismissal awards brought against respondents with a work address with a YO postcode. This shows that in the period 23 March 2009 to 22 March 2010, 35 successful unfair dismissal claims were brought against respondents whose postcode began with YO. The average award was £4,832.51.

Human Trafficking: Confiscation Orders

Anthony Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many confiscation orders there were against convicted traffickers between 1 April 2009 and 31 January 2010; and what estimate he has made of the likely level of savings to the public purse as a result.

Claire Ward: The available information is provided in the following table. The figures shown in the table relate solely to cases recorded on the Ministry of Justice courts proceedings database where an offence of Human trafficking or Drug trafficking was the principal offence for which the offender was sentenced and where the confiscation order was made at the point of sentence. It is possible that a confiscation order will be made in a separate court appearance following sentence. These cases are not included in this answer so it is possible the true number of confiscation orders is higher than presented here.
	Data for 2008 have been provided as data for 2009 and 2010 is not yet available. Sentencing data for 2009 will be published later this year.
	No estimates of likely levels of savings to the public purse relating specifically to confiscation orders for trafficking are known to have been calculated by the Ministry of Justice.
	50 per cent. of money recovered is given back to the operational bodies to drive up asset recovery work. 50 per cent. is retained by the Home Office for core funding including the Regional Assets Recovery Team. This money represents an addition to budgets rather than a saving and is important in providing extra resources to take proceeds off the criminals.
	
		
			  Confiscation orders issued for drug( 1)  or people trafficking( 2) , 2008 
			   Drug trafficking  People trafficking 
			 Total confiscation orders (number) (1)1,486 0 
			 Amount confiscated (£) (1)20,529,373 n/a 
			 n/a = not applicable (1) This includes drug offences relating to importation and exportation, supply, production and other relevant drug offences. These figures have been taken from table 4.10 of Sentencing Statistics 2008. (2) Trafficking into the UK for sexual exploitation Trafficking within the UK for sexual exploitation Trafficking out of the UK for sexual exploitation Trafficking people Into the UK for the purpose of exploitation Trafficking people within the UK for the purpose of exploitation Trafficking people out of the UK  Note: 1. These figures have been drawn from administrative data systems. Although care is taken when processing and analysing the returns, the detail collected is subject to the inaccuracies inherent in any large scale recording system. 2. These data have been taken from the Ministry of Justice Court Proceedings database. These data are presented on the principal offence basis. Where an offender has been sentenced for more than one offence the principal offence is the one for which the heaviest sentence was imposed. Where the same sentence has been imposed for two or more offences the principal offence is the one for which the statutory maximum is most severe. 3. Sentencing data are usually baaed on the principal offence and the primary disposal for that offence. A confiscation order is an ancillary disposal usually given alongside the main sentence, these results show the number and amount for confiscation orders given as any one of four disposals recorded against a principal offence of trafficking.

Departmental Internet

Judy Mallaber: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will advise Ministerial colleagues on steps to take to ensure that access to known child abuse sites is not possible from computers on departmental networks.

Alan Campbell: holding answer 25 March 2010
	The Government take the prevention of access to such images very seriously. We believe that Government should take all effective measures, such as the use of criteria in contracts, to ensure that Departments only buy internet services from suppliers that take the Internet Watch Foundation list. The changes to the OGC conditions to ensure that suppliers do this, as set out in their recent Procurement Policy Note, should be used by Departments to help them select their suppliers.

Departmental Public Expenditure

Hugo Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department to what budgets proceeds of crime recovered as a result of Crown Prosecution Service prosecutions are allocated to  (a) local Crime Reduction Partnership budgets,  (b) other local budgets and  (c) central government budgets.

Alan Campbell: The Crown Prosecution Service receives 18.75 per cent of the proceeds of crime recovered as a result of its prosecutions. In 2008-09 it received £10.6 million and this has been used to fund training of their lawyers, monitoring the work of their local areas and in supporting their asset recovery function. Full year figures for 2009-10 are not yet available.
	In 2009-10, the Crown Prosecution Service contributed £375,000 of recovered proceeds to the Community Cashback Scheme. This was a new scheme in England and Wales which gives local people a say in how £4 million of recovered criminal assets should be spent in their communities. The Local Criminal Justice Boards considered applications for funding for community projects up to an overall maximum of £95,000 in their area. 269 projects were funded.

Dungavel House Immigration Removal Centre

Angus MacNeil: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  what assessment he has made of the reasons for the hunger strike by detainees at Dungavel immigration removal centre; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  how many cases of hunger strike have occurred at immigration removal centres in each of the last two years.

Phil Woolas: holding answer 22 March 2010
	There has not been a hunger strike at Dungavel immigration removal centre (IRC).
	I refer the hon. Member to the letter sent to Members of this House by my hon. Friend, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Home Office (Meg Hillier) on 24 February 2010, addressing the inaccurate reporting in the media of a hunger strike at Yarl's Wood IRC; and to my own comments during Home Office questions in the House on 22 March 2010.
	Those detainees said to be on hunger strike at Yarl's Wood were refusing meals from the centre's canteen, but they were buying food from the centre's shop and vending machines and having food delivered by visitors. They were all also drinking.
	There is a well-publicised procedure in every immigration removal centre to enable detainees to complain about any aspect of their detention or care within the centre. There were no records of complaints received from any of the women involved at the start of the protest. Concerns which have since been raised are being addressed.
	We only record information on detainees who have missed four consecutive meals, excluding breakfast. Such detainees miss meals for a number of reasons, including fasting due to their religious faith. We do not record the number who state they are refusing food in protest at a particular issue.
	All those who miss meals are monitored closely by the centre, including healthcare, where they will receive advice on diet and welfare issues.
	The UK Border Agency and the centre management engage closely with such detainees to understand the reason for them missing meals and to seek to resolve any underlying problems.

Greater Manchester

Tony Lloyd: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will set out, with statistical information as closely related to Manchester Central constituency as possible, the effect on that constituency of the policies of his Department since 1997.

Alan Campbell: holding answer 8 March 2010
	Manchester Central comes within the Manchester Community Safety Partnership (CSP). Prior to 1 March 2010, CSPs were referred to as Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnerships (CDRP). The available statistical information therefore relates to the Manchester CSP.
	In terms of police recorded crime in the Manchester CSP, between 2002-03 and 2008-09, total recorded crime fell by 18 per cent. More specifically:
	Violence against the person-down 2 per cent. (down 5 per cent. in last year)
	Sexual offences-down 10 per cent. (down 10 per cent. in last year)
	Robbery-down 43 per cent. (down 16 per cent. in last year)
	Burglary-down 29 per cent. (up 5 per cent. in last year)
	Offences against vehicles-down 35 per cent. (down 18 per cent. in last year)
	Other theft offences-down 12 per cent. (up 2 per cent. in last year)
	Criminal damage-down 20 per cent. (down 11 per cent. in last year)
	Drug offences-up 151 per cent. (up 3 per cent. in last year) (there has been increased recording of drug offences which is mainly attributable to the increased use of police powers to issue cannabis warnings).
	Data prior to 2002-03 is not directly comparable because of the introduction of the National Crime Recording Standard in April 2002. Additionally, no data at CSP level is available prior to 1998-99.
	Manchester CSP is covered by Metropolitan, North Manchester, South Manchester and Trafford basic command units, which had a total of 2,167 police officers as at 30 March 2009. The number of police officers has decreased by 74 since 2003. Comparisons with 1997 at BCU level are not available. There were 218 police community support officers as at 30 March 2009 while there were none in existence in 1997.
	The Crime and Disorder Act 1998 saw positive effects with the statutory duty to create a Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnership (CDRP). These are now referred to as Community Safety Partnerships (CSPs).
	The Manchester CSP has brought new ways of working in a cross cutting way with the police, council and other key stakeholders and genuine partnership working to help tackle complex issues.
	Neighbourhood Police Teams are in place and the Manchester Central constituency is served by a number of such teams from the Greater Manchester police's North Manchester and Metropolitan Divisions. Neighbourhood policing is a crucial partnership with the public and is helping to reduce crime and enhance community confidence in the police. The visible policing presence is augmented by information on neighbourhood policing in each area which is available on the internet. None of this was in place in 1997.
	All CSPs, including Manchester, are putting in place minimum standards to tackle antisocial behaviour (ASB). By tackling ASB and providing support for victims, these will help to reduce local perceptions of ASB and improve public confidence. This was not in place in 1997. In addition, before 1997 there were no bespoke powers to tackle antisocial behaviour whereas there are now a range of powers to deal with this issue. These include antisocial behaviour orders and Designated Public Places Orders (DPPO) from the Criminal Justice and Police Act 2001. Manchester is in the top 50 national priority areas for alcohol-related harm.
	The effects of the Department's policies on crime, antisocial behaviour, policing, and night time economy management have been consistently positive and instrumental in supporting the city centre's development as a safer, more popular and vibrant place to visit.
	Detailed and comprehensive analysis is being used by Manchester, along with specific action plans to ensure reductions in serious violent crime. The Manchester Violent Gang Board has recently been commended for their approach to the issues within Manchester and have been given a Green Flag by the Audit commission for their work in relation to Guns and Gangs. Gun crime is down significantly-Greater Manchester Police's Xcalibre Operations have had notable success in targeting the gang culture and securing convictions against gang leaders and members. Firearms discharges have reduced in Manchester over the last three years. This is helping to improve safety in Manchester Central.
	Since 1997 a key element of Home Office policy in addressing domestic violence has been driven through the Home Office-led Cross-Government National Domestic Violence Delivery Plan. This includes the Specialist Domestic Violence Court programme (Manchester gained accreditation in 2008). It also includes Multi-Agency Risk Assessment Conferences (MARACs), the Government's approach to identified high risk victims of domestic violence. Manchester is developing three MARACs covering all three Police Divisions. Victims of domestic violence are supported by Independent Domestic Violence Advisers (IDVAs)-trained specialists who provide a service to victims who are at high risk of harm which have been shown to decrease victimisation. Manchester now has 10 IDVAs.
	Since 1997 a key element of Home Office policy in addressing sexual violence has been driven through the delivery of the Home Office-led Cross-Government Action Plan on Sexual Violence and Abuse which aims to increase access to health and support services for victims; improve the response of the criminal justice system for victims, and to prevent sexual violence in the first place. This has led to expanded services such as Sexual Assault Referral Centres (SARCs) and Independent Sexual Violence Advisers (ISVAs) to improve victim care. Home Office has supported the continued development of St. Mary's SARC in Manchester and the development of an ISVA service at the centre.
	Manchester is a recipient of Youth Crime Action Plan funding and has rolled out a programme of initiatives designed to tackle Youth Crime. Manchester also receives funding from the Tackling Knives Action Programme and has engaged in a number of enforcement and educational activities to tackle and deter young people from involvement in all forms of serious youth violence. These include Safer Schools Partnerships.
	The drug treatment system in Manchester has developed by means of joint planning and commissioning of services over many years. The introduction of national drug strategy and the establishment of pooled treatment budget arrangements in 2001-02 have done much to formalise and enhance partnership working. This has resulted in the development of an integrated treatment system. Manchester has an effective Drugs Intervention Programme (DIP).
	Manchester is achieving significant reductions in acquisitive crime, but recognises that there are still challenges, particularly in tackling issues such as domestic burglary and robbery. Robust plans are in place to tackle these. There is a real focus on student safety and Manchester has developed a Student Safety Business Model. Manchester is a Vigilance area and Safer Homes Fund area which are Home Office programmes aimed at tackling acquisitive crime, particularly burglary and robbery. Greater Manchester Police's Operation Storm has had real success in recent reductions in domestic burglary in particular.
	From 1 April 2010, CSPs are required to formulate and implement a strategy "to reduce re-offending". One of Manchester's priorities includes reducing the offending of prolific and priority offenders and the Partnership is currently exceeding the targets set in the Local Area Agreement. Manchester will shortly introduce Integrated Offender Management (IOM) based on the Greater Manchester Spotlight model and will have three co-located IOM Teams covering the City. This will manage the most serious offenders including those responsible for acquisitive crime, and violent and domestic violence offences.
	The Neighbourhood Statistics Service provides a wide range of statistical information at parliamentary constituency level, taken from the 2001 Census and other sources. This service is available on the National Statistics website at:
	http://neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk./

Hackney

Diane Abbott: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will set out, with statistical evidence relating as closely as possible to Hackney North and Stoke Newington constituency, the effects on that constituency of his Department's policies since 1997.

Alan Campbell: Hackney North and Stoke Newington comes within the Hackney community safety partnership (CSP). Prior to 1 March 2010, CSPs were referred to as crime and disorder reduction partnerships (CDRP). The statistical information therefore relates to the Hackney CSP.
	In terms of police recorded crime in the Hackney CSP, between 2002-03 and 2008-09, total recorded crime fell by 24 per cent. More specifically:
	Violence against the person: down 5 per cent. (down 8 per cent. in last year)
	Sexual offences: up 2 per cent. (up 13 per cent. in last year)
	Robbery: 55 per cent. (down 16 per cent. in last year)
	Burglary: down 43 per cent. (down 1 per cent. in last year)
	Offences against vehicles: down 50 per cent. (down 10 per cent. in last year)
	Other theft offences: down 25 per cent. (down 11 per cent. in last year)
	Criminal damage: down 49 per cent. (down 21 per cent. in last year)
	Drug offences: up 272 per cent. (up 3 per cent. in last year) (there has been increased recording of drug offences which is mainly attributable to the increased use of police powers to issue cannabis warnings).
	Data prior to 2002-03 is not directly comparable because of the introduction of the National Crime Recording Standard in April 2002. Additionally, no data at CSP level is available prior to 1998-99.
	Hackney basic command unit had 757 police officers as at 30 March 2009. The number of police officers has increased by 84 since 2003. Comparisons with 1997 for Hackney BCU are not available. There were 100 police community support officers as at 30 March 2009 while there were none in existence in 1997.
	 Funding
	The borough is funded well through central streams and has acquired a large block of funding (£600,000) from the area-based grant beyond the element usually provided via HO crime allocations.
	Hackney is in the top 50 national Alcohol Strategy Delivery Programmes and has received £25,000 for targeted enforcement; multi-agency NTE work; enforcement training; guidance on the use of tools.
	In 2009-10, Hackney is in receipt of £54,000 from CLG to tackle ASB plus a further £12,000 to train ASB Resident Champions and undertake a resident-led ASB project. The borough also gets £70,000 from Home Office as one of the country's Neighbourhood Crime and Justice Pioneer areas, substantial monies as part of DCSF's Youth Crime Action Plan (YCAP) areas and further small pots of funding from Home Office for ASB victims and witness support, and for local ASB surveys.
	 Hackney Safer Greener Partnership
	The Crime and Disorder Act 1998 saw positive effects with the statutory duty to create a crime and disorder reduction partnership-CDRP (now called CSPs). The partnership has brought new ways of working in a cross-cutting way with the police, council and other key stakeholders and genuine partnership working to help tackle complex issues.
	Priority issues for the borough are:
	Serious violence
	Youth violence
	Community engagement and perceptions
	The Area Assessment published in October 2009 found local partners' approach to tackling crime in Hackney is strong and is delivering good results. Hackney is effectively sustaining the significant longer term reductions already achieved.
	Incidents of knife and gun-related crime, as well as antisocial behaviour, have also decreased. It found local partners are using a number of ways to tackle crime. Public services in Hackney have used safer neighbourhood offices to collocate staff who focus on enforcement activity and to tackle drug-related crime, a dedicated drugs squad has been set up. Drug misuse has fallen at a faster rate than other areas of London. Antisocial behaviour and associated youth crime are being effectively tackled. Youth crime has decreased across the borough and concerns about antisocial behaviour have also decreased. Overall, children and young people's safety is promoted well in Hackney.
	The assessment also found Hackney tackles weapon and gang crime through a variety of approaches that aim to divert and motivate young people away from crime through community payback schemes; sport and education, Friday and Saturday evening youth provision, parenting programmes and finding alternatives to school exclusions.
	 Drug- related offending
	To tackle drug-related crime a dedicated drugs squad has been set up. This has resulted in significant reductions in drug-related crime. Other initiatives include the Diamond project aimed at reducing reoffending and a dedicated police officer working with Mind, a mental health charity, to work with and support those who have mental health issues and commit crime. As a result of these projects, drug misuse has fallen at a faster rate than other areas of London.
	Hackney is funded by the HO as an 'intensive' Drug Intervention Programme (DIP) area enabling it to tackle drug-related offending through a range of 'intensive' DIP applications including drug-testing on arrest and restriction on bail provisions allowing more offenders to be targeted, steered into treatment and out of a life of crime. Hackney's DIP budget for 2009-10 is £1,536,227and for 2010-11 is £1,471,088 (4 per cent. reduction). The operation of DIP in Hackney in 2008-09 saw over 2,800 arrestees tested (final figures for 2009-10 are not yet available). 178 were referred into and started structured treatment from DIP-work is being done to improve this referral route into treatment.
	 Violent crime
	Hackney saw a 20 per cent. reduction in grievous bodily harm incidents, 50 per cent. reduction in the number of murders and an overall reduction of 3.4 per cent. in rape allegations during 2006-07 in comparison with 2003-04.
	 Antisocial behaviour and neighbourhood policing
	Before 1997 there were no bespoke powers to tackle antisocial behaviour but there are now a range of powers to deal with this issue. These include antisocial behaviour orders and designated public places orders (DPPO) from the Criminal Justice and Police Act 2001.
	37.6 per cent. of residents perceive ASB to be a problem (30th out of the 33 London local authorities). The borough is particularly worse than average for 'noisy neighbours/loud parties', 'rubbish and litter lying around' and 'people using or dealing drugs'.
	25.3 per cent. of residents agree that the police and local services are successfully dealing with crime and ASB in their area. This is below the London average (28.2 per cent.).
	Hackney prioritised NI 17 (perceptions of ASB) (and NI 195-street cleanliness) in its local area agreement.
	Hackney has made ASB a priority within the borough and has regular meetings of a forum linked to the LSP. It is recognised to be improving on local responses to ASB.  Youth crime
	Total funding received from the YJB for 2009-10: £934,876.86
	Total budget for 2009-10: £4,168,422
	Hackney is a pioneering borough and committed to cracking down on youth crime. There are many schemes aimed at young people including after school activities; street-based youth workers and schemes such as Operation Staysafe aimed at identifying children at risk in the late hours.
	The rate of reoffending by young people in Hackney is comparable with similar areas. There are priorities within the Children and Young People's Plan 2008-11 to reduce offending and reoffending among young people and to offer them more and better activities. Two thirds of young people participate in positive activities outside of the school day. The youth offending team works well and there has been increased investment in Hackney's youth services. The proportion of young people sentenced to custody increased in 2008-09 and is higher than the national average, but in line with similar areas. There is an over-representation of black young people in the youth justice system but this is showing a downward trend. Hackney's new youth crime reduction strategy has been informed by a range of evaluations, studies and data including a gap analysis of provision for young black people. More young offenders are in education, employment and training than before and the proportion living in suitable accommodation has also improved.
	Data from Hackney (Hackney Youth Crime Strategy 2009) shows that just over 200 Hackney residents under 19 years have been victims of serious violence. Hackney partners are seeking new ways of encouraging and supporting young victims and witnesses to enable them to feel safe in reporting crime and giving court evidence. They are part of the London Integrated Offender Management Programme and have adopted the principles of intense monitoring of offenders balanced with support to rehabilitate for serious youth violence.
	The Neighbourhood Statistics Service provides a wide range of statistical information at parliamentary constituency level, taken from the 2001 census and other sources. This service is available on the National Statistics website at:
	http://neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk./

Serious Organised Crime Agency: Databases

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which local authorities have access to the Serious Organised Crime Agency's ELMER database; and what  (a) personal and  (b) property data are held on the ELMER database.

Alan Campbell: The Serious Organised Crime Agency has partnership agreements in place with three local authorities allowing accredited financial investigators access to ELMER through terminals housed in local police units. These are the London borough of Tower Hamlets Trading Standards Service and London Illegal Money Lending Team, Neath Port Talbot county borough council's Consumer Fraud Team, and Trading Standards within Glasgow city council.
	The Elmer database only holds personal or property data that have been submitted to SOCA in Suspicious Activity Reports (SARs) by institutions or individuals fulfilling their obligations under the Proceeds of Crime Act (2002).

Stroud

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will set out, with statistical information related as directly as possible to Stroud constituency, the effects on that constituency of his Department's policies and actions since 2000.

Alan Campbell: Stroud comes within the Stroud Community Safety Partnership (CSP). Prior to 1 March 2010, CSPs were referred to as Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnerships (CDRP). The available statistical information therefore relates to the Stroud CSP.
	In terms of police recorded crime in the Stroud CSP, between 2002-03 and 2008-09, total recorded crime fell by 14 per cent. More specifically:
	Violence against the person-up 16 per cent. (down 7 per cent. in last year)
	Sexual offences-up 29 per cent. (up 19 per cent. in last year)
	Robbery-down 23 per cent. (up 8 per cent. in last year)
	Burglary-down 28 per cent. (down 3 per cent. in last year)
	Offences against vehicles-down 31 per cent. (up 7 per cent. in last year)
	Other theft offences-down 30 per cent. (down 3 per cent. in last year)
	Criminal damage-up 5 per cent. (down 12 per cent. in last year)
	Drug offences-up 32 per cent. (up 50 per cent. in last year) (there has been increased recording of drug offences which is mainly attributable to the increased use of police powers to issue cannabis warnings).
	Data prior to 2002-03 is not directly comparable because of the introduction of the National Crime Recording Standard in April 2002. Additionally, no data at CSP level is available prior to 1998-99.
	Cotswold and Stroud Basic Command Unit had 258 police officers as at 30 March 2009. The number of police officers has increased by one since 2003. Comparisons with 1997 for Cotswold and Stroud BCU are not available. There were 43 Police Community Support Officers as at 30 March 2009, whilst there were none in existence in 1997.
	The Crime and Disorder Act 1998 saw positive effects with the statutory duty to create a Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnership (CDRP). From March 2010, CDRPs are referred to as Community Safety Partnerships (CSPs). The CSP has brought new ways of working in a cross-cutting way with the police, council and other key stakeholders and genuine partnership working to help tackle complex issues.
	Stroud's Safer Community Team is one of five Inspector Neighbourhood Areas in the Cotswolds and Stroud Police Division. There are three police divisions within Gloucestershire Constabulary.
	Stroud's Community Safety Partnership, the statutory multi-agency partnership with responsibility for community safety, is currently looking to move to one partnership with Cotswolds District Partnership. Geographical coverage of the new partnership will therefore coincide with the police division of Cotswolds and Stroud. Information on crime and antisocial behaviour in Cotswolds and Stroud is available on the Crimemapper website at:
	http://maps.police.uk/
	Before 1997 there were no bespoke powers to tackle antisocial behaviour but there are now a range of powers to deal with this issue. These include antisocial behaviour orders and designated public places orders (DPPO) from the Criminal Justice and Police Act 2001.
	On 2 December 2009, the Home Secretary and my right hon. Friend the Member for Southampton, Itchen (Mr. Denham) announced additional funding to develop neighbourhood partnership work to improve public confidence in dealing with issues that matter most in neighbourhoods. This Accelerated Neighbourhood Partnership Fund was targeted at those areas with significantly lower confidence than most similar areas. Stroud was given £41,700 from this fund.
	The Neighbourhood Statistics Service provides a wide range of statistical information at parliamentary constituency level, taken from the 2001 Census and other sources. This service is available on the National Statistics website at:
	http://neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk./

Banks: York

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the number of  (a) business and  (b) personal customers in York with (i) bank accounts, (ii) mortgages and (iii) other investments with each financial institution in receipt of financial support from the public purse.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: Neither HM Treasury nor UK financial investments collect or hold such information.

Departmental Coordination

Ian Liddell-Grainger: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what progress has been made on identifying ways in which HM Revenue and Customs, the Department for Work and Pensions and other Government departments can better maintain a core database of business identities referred to in the report on service transformation by Sir David Varney.

Stephen Timms: The initial focus for business taken from Sir David Varney's report on service transformation was to bring together in one place on the
	www.businesslink.gov.uk
	website all the information and transactions businesses need in dealing with central Government. That work is due to complete by March 2011.
	HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) is now developing a common business identifier for use within the Department that will link business tax records held on different HMRC databases. This work will enable delivery of the enhanced online services for small and medium enterprises set out in paragraph 4.20, page 53 of Budget 2010, including providing businesses with a single view of their current financial relationship with HMRC.
	The Government will consider the potential for extending HMRC's approach to other Departments.

Housing: Valuation

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many dwellings have been valued by the Valuation Office Agency's Automated Valuation Model to date.

Ian Pearson: Value estimates for approximately 22 million dwellings have been produced using the Valuation Office Agency's automated valuation model (AVM) technology. A precise figure cannot be given without disproportionate cost. Value estimates were produced during the preparatory work for the postponed 2007 council tax revaluation in England and have since been produced to support the ongoing maintenance of the investment made in AVM technology.

Taxation: Business

Mark Prisk: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what average length of time it took for HM Revenue and Customs to register a business for tax purposes in  (a) September 2009,  (b) October 2009,  (c) November 2009,  (d) December 2009 and  (e) January 2010;
	(2)  what average length of time if took for HM Revenue and Customs to register a business for tax purposes in  (a) September 2008,  (b) October 2008,  (c) November 2008,  (d) December 2008 and  (e) January 2009.

Stephen Timms: HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) is responsible for administering a large number of taxes and duties, of which some have registration regimes and others do not. The data in respect of some of these regimes is held centrally and is readily accessible, while for others it could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Energy

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what  (a) voltage optimisers and  (b) equivalent technologies are used within buildings occupied by her Department.

Jonathan R Shaw: DWP occupies the vast majority of its properties under the terms of a PFI contract with Telereal Trillium. Telereal Trillium, on behalf of the Department, are currently evaluating two suppliers of voltage optimisation equipment to determine suitability for the DWP estate. The installation of voltage optimisation specifically for lighting circuits is also being considered.
	With regard to similar technologies, Telereal Trillium have recently completed a national project on behalf of the Department to install over 5,300 energy saving electronic control devices, on small to medium refrigeration machines-domestic refrigerators and air conditioning units.

Departmental Marketing

Robert Syms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Ruislip Northwood of 5 January 2010,  Official Report, column 103W, on departmental marketing, how much her Department and agencies have spent on advertising, marketing, public relations and publicity in relation to the  (a) Real Help Now and  (b) Building Britain's Future themed campaign to date.

Jonathan R Shaw: 'Real Help Now' was introduced to raise awareness of the services and support available to people to help them through the economic downturn. The Department for Work and Pensions spent a total of £365,000 on a range of activities that came under 'Real Help Now'. These activities included leaflets and advertising to promote financial help available to employers for recruitment, a cross government employment summit and promotion of 'Real Help Now' information on businesslink.gov.uk.
	DWP's only supporting communications activity for Building Britain's Future is the Backing Young Britain campaign. This campaign is still running and information on costs will only be available when the activity is complete.

Burma: Asylum

Andrew Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps he is taking with the Government of Bangladesh and the United Nations High Commission for Refugees to improve the humanitarian situation in the camps for Rohingya refugees on the Bangladesh-Burma border.

Douglas Alexander: We have raised the plight of the Rohinygas and their status with the Government of Bangladesh, both bilaterally and in concert with EU partners. Most recently, my right hon. friend the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State Mike Foster raised the conditions of the Rohingyas in the camps with the Minister for the Environment and Forests during a meeting in London on 17 March. Officials from the British High Commission in Dhaka, including the High Commissioner, have visited the camps for displaced Rohingyas. Officials also held discussions with representatives from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees on 15 March in Dhaka.

Children: Abuse

Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families whether he plans to bring forward proposals for the protection of children in suspected cases of domestic violence.

Diana Johnson: Keeping children safe from all forms of abuse is a top priority for the Government. The Government recognise the strong links between safeguarding concerns and domestic violence. All professionals working with or who come into contact with children and their families, including those working in health or education, have a duty to safeguard and promote the welfare of children. If they have reason to believe that a child is at risk from harm as a result of domestic violence, they should follow the same steps to raise this concern as they would for any other child at risk of abuse. 'Working Together to Safeguard Children' (2010) and 'What To Do If You're Worried a Child Is Being Abused' (2006) provide guidance for professionals on the impact of domestic violence on children and stress the need for awareness of those links.
	The National Safeguarding Delivery Unit and the National MARAC Steering Group chaired by the Home Office will be working with key partners over the next few months to develop guidance for local MARAC partnerships to ensure that the cases of children which are most at risk of harm in families affected by domestic violence are indentified and prioritised.

Children: Abuse

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what his Department's policy is on helping children affected by domestic abuse through  (a) training professionals to consider the needs of the children involved and  (b) provision of support services for children and families affected.

Diana Johnson: Keeping children safe from all forms of harm, including the effects of domestic violence, is a top priority for the Government.
	Local Safeguarding Children Boards (LSCBs) have a responsibility to ensure that single-agency and inter-agency training on safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children is provided in order to meet local needs. LSCBs should also evaluate the quality of the training, ensuring that relevant training is provided by individual organisations and checking that the training is reaching the relevant staff within organisations.
	The Government are providing over £170 million for 2009-11 for local authorities, working with partners, to implement Think Family reforms and projects to secure better outcomes for children and families with additional needs, including those affected by domestic violence. Key to these reforms and projects is co-ordinating the support these families receive from children, adult and family services. In particular, family intervention projects are working intensively with families with complex needs, including those affected by domestic violence, though key workers and multi-agency whole family support plans. The Government have committed to expand family intervention projects to 10,000 families a year from 2012-13.

Children: Social Services

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many times the Government Office for Yorkshire and the Humber approved an extension of the deadline for the publication of the serious case review into the death of Child BO5 in Doncaster; and for what reasons on each occasion.

Diana Johnson: holding answer 22 March 2010
	Child BO5 died in October 2004 and the serious case review was initiated in November 2005. No procedure existed at that time whereby Local Safeguarding Children Boards were expected to discuss the proposed extension of deadlines for the completion of serious case reviews with Government offices for the regions. Accordingly, the Government office for Yorkshire and the Humber played no part in extending of the deadline for the Child BO5 serious case review.

Departmental Public Expenditure

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how much his Department has spent on  (a) consultants,  (b) advertising,  (c) publishing,  (d) public relations,  (e) professional training and  (f) other activities for each programme campaign (i) run by the Department and (ii) commissioned from other organisations in (A) 2005-06, (B) 2006-07, (C) 2007-08 and (D) 2008-09; and which organisations ran each campaign which was not run by his Department.

Diana Johnson: Promotional campaigns, including those using advertising, are funded from the Department's central Advertising and Publicity Budget and from individual programme budgets held by policy directorates. It is therefore not possible to establish a definitive figure for all advertising and promotion, except at disproportionate cost.
	Advertising is part of a full integrated promotional campaign. We are able to separate the Department's spend on campaign advertising, as this is centrally placed through the Central Office of Information. These figures are media total and exclude production, fees and VAT and are outlined in the Table A.
	Public relations agencies are employed for specific communications tasks, most commonly working alongside our press office to provide campaign support in local, regional and specialist media. The Department's expenditure on public relations is outlined in Table B.
	There has been no professional training undertaken for campaigns in the four years in question.
	The nature and diversity of consultancy streams that may have been used since 2005 means that a full survey of spend would be possible only at disproportionate cost.
	Information relating to publications and other activities cannot be supplied without incurring disproportionate cost.
	
		
			  Table A: Advertising 
			   Total spend (£) 
			 2005-06 8,300,254 
			 2006-07 6,573,885 
			 2007-08 4,659,786 
			 2008-09 13,891,106 
		
	
	
		
			  Table B: Public relations 
			   Total spend (£) 
			 2005-06 596,545 
			 2006-07 1,168,869 
			 2007-08 2,333,000 
			 2008-09 4,023,403

Departmental Written Questions

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what methodology his Department used to determine whether answers to questions in the formulation if he will set out with statistical information related as directly as possible to the tabling hon. Member's constituency the effects on that constituency of his Department's policies since 1997 could be provided without incurring disproportionate cost; and if he will make a statement.

Vernon Coaker: holding answer 23 March 2010
	The Department seeks to answer all parliamentary questions that do not incur disproportionate cost. The methodology used to determine whether answers to these questions could be provided without incurring disproportionate cost was the Department's guidance on the "Calculation of the Disproportionate Cost threshold for answering PQs" which is based on the guidance published on the Cabinet Office's website at:
	www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/parliamentary-clerk-guide/chapter7.aspx
	Officials in the Department have concluded that answering these questions in full would exceed the current disproportionate cost threshold of £800 as announced in Parliament by the Treasury on the 20 January 2010. These questions are very broad in scope covering all of the Department's policies over a number of years. To identify the effects of all policies on an individual constituency, collate all of the data and carry out the necessary quality assurance would require a considerable amount of resource, far in excess of the threshold. The round robin guidance issued by the Treasury for these questions advised directing questioners to the Neighbourhood Statistics Service website, however, while the Department has placed considerable amounts of data on this website, it is not at constituency level. My officials, in line with Cabinet Office guidance, decided to answer the questions by providing the requested information which was readily available and provided readily available attainment data at constituency level and a link to the Department's "In Your Area" website where the Department publishes further local level data including data at parliamentary constituency level. It would only be possible for the Department to provide additional information by exceeding the disproportionate cost threshold.

Education: Birmingham

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how much funding has been provided by his Department  (a) for education maintenance allowances,  (b) under the Entry to Employment programme and  (c) under the Behaviour Improvement programme since the introduction of each such scheme; and how many people in Birmingham have received assistance under each of those schemes.

Iain Wright: Investment in education maintenance allowance (EMA), Entry to Employment (E2E) and the Behaviour Improvement programme (BIP) provision since the introduction of the schemes is shown for each year in the following tables:
	
		
			  EMA 
			   £  million 
			 1999-2000 11 
			 2000-01 52 
			 2001-02 109 
			 2002-03 120 
			 2003-04 142 
			 2004-05 260 
			 2005-06 407 
			 2006-07 503 
			 2007-08 533 
			 2008-09 532 
			 2009-10 569 
		
	
	
		
			  E2E Funding 
			   £ 
			 2002-03 73,588 
			 2003-04 206,329 
			 2004-05 246,583 
			 2005-06 222,373 
			 2006-07 186,815 
			 2007-08 174,853 
			 2008-09 170,000 
			 2009-10 223,000 
		
	
	
		
			  BIP 
			  £ 
			   2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  Total 
			 Phase 1 29,225,003 48,653,015 44,200,000 38,542,400 160,620,418 
			 Phase 2 - 36,400,000 33,850,000 29,525,600 99,775,600 
			 Phase 3 - - 20,280,000 19,088,000 39,368,000 
			 Phase 4 - - - 39,000,000 39,000,000 
			 Total 29,225,003 85,053,015 98,330,000 126,156,000 338,764,018 
		
	
	The following tables show the number of young people in Birmingham who have benefited from EMA and E2E. Data are not held on the number of young people in Birmingham who have benefited from the BIP programme.
	
		
			  EMA 
			  Area type  Area name   Number of people 
			 LA Birmingham 2004/05 12,749 
			   2005/06 14,182 
			   2006/07 16,593 
			   2007/08 17,117 
			   2008/09(1) 17,516 
			   2009/10(2) 18,599 
			 (1 )Year to date for 2009/10 (up-to-date as of 17 February 2010) (2 )Year to date - 28 August 2009 to 31 January 2010. 
		
	
	In 2008/09 and 2009/10 some applicants were not recorded against any particular LA or region but were included in the total take-up figure for England. In consequence, LA and regional data may be underestimated.
	
		
			  E2E 
			   Number of young people 
			 2003-04 1,694 
			 2004-05 1,712 
			 2005-06 1,570 
			 2006-07 1,518 
			 2007-08 1,587 
			 2008-09 1,762 
			 2009-10 (1)906 
			 (1 )Year to date for 2009/10 (up-to-date as of 17 February 2010)

Music: Education

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what recent steps his Department has taken to encourage participation in specialist instrumental or vocal tuition amongst  (a) primary and  (b) secondary school pupils in maintained schools.

Diana Johnson: holding answer 28 January 2010
	The standards fund music grant to local authorities has, since 2006-07, included a formula-based allocation for children to be given the opportunity to learn a musical instrument and/or receive specialist vocal tuition at key stage 2. The allocation of an extra £23 million a year since 2007-08, along with our strong guidance to local authorities to focus efforts on reaching 100 per cent. of the key stage 2 population, has had a significant impact on widening access to instrumental and vocal tuition. In addition, Sing Up, the national singing programme has received £10 million a year from 2007 to provide resources and professional development for teachers to lead singing in primary schools. While support has focused on widening access to instrumental and vocal tuition for primary school pupils, "Tune In-Year of Music" was launched last September and this initiative is promoting musical activities across the country for 0 to 19-year-olds.

Sixth Form Education: Complaints

Kelvin Hopkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families to whom a complaint from  (a) a student and  (b) an apprentice aged between 16 and 19 years and attending a (i) further education college and (ii) sixth form college will be referred if the student is dissatisfied with that college's response to their complaint after 1 April 2010; and if he will make a statement.

Iain Wright: The current policy for complaints from a student or an apprentice aged between 16 and 19 years and attending a further education college or a sixth-form college is that they can complain to the relevant regional office of the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) which funds the further education college or sixth-form college in question. The LSC would only consider such complaints once the college's own internal complaints procedure has been fully exhausted.
	From 1 April 2010, complaints from learners aged 16-19 in a further education college will be dealt with by the chief executive of Skills Funding. Complaints about sixth-form colleges will be dealt with by the relevant local authority and subsequently directed to the local government ombudsman if the complainant continues to remain dissatisfied. All complaints from apprentices will be directed to the Skills Funding Agency after exhausting the provider mechanisms. We will keep this policy under review.

A13: Litter

Andrew MacKinlay: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport for what reasons  (a) the Highways Agency and  (b) he has not replied to a letter from Thurrock Borough Council on contract compliance in respect of the Connect Plus Group's obligation to collect rubbish and litter from, and to clean, the A13 highway in Thurrock; and if he will make a statement.

Chris Mole: The Highways Agency received a letter regarding this matter on 2 February from Thurrock borough council and it was copied to the Secretary of State for Transport. An email response was sent by the Highways Agency on 4 February 2010. Subsequently, a senior representative of the Highways Agency met with the council's Cabinet Member for Environmental Services to resolve the issues concerning litter on the A13 in Thurrock.
	I am not aware of any other correspondence from Thurrock borough council regarding this matter.

Automatic Number Plate Recognition

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Peterborough of 3 March 2010,  Official Report, column 1192W, on automatic number plate recognition, whether a privacy impact assessment was undertaken in relation to the use of automatic number plate recognition for civil parking and civil traffic enforcement.

Sadiq Khan: I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Bromley and Chislehurst (Robert Neill) on 23 March 2010,  Official Report, column 179W.

Coastal Erosion

David Amess: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport 
	(1)  how much he  (a) has given in the last three financial years and  (b) plans to give in the next three financial years to local authorities in (i) Essex and (ii) England to restore cliff slippages that threaten (A) rail and (B) road links; what recent representations he has received on this issue; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what legislative authority he has to fund local authorities to restore cliff slippages that threaten  (a) rail and  (b) road links; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  what recent  (a) meetings he has had with and  (b) representations he has received from Southend Borough Council on cliff slippages that threaten (i) rail and (ii) road links; what the (A) location and (B) duration was of each meeting; whether a record of each meeting was kept; who attended each meeting; and if he will make a statement;
	(4)  what research has been  (a) commissioned and  (b) evaluated by his Department on cliff slippages that threaten (i) rail and (ii) road links in the last 10 years; and if he will make a statement.

Sadiq Khan: The Department for Transport provided £1 million funding to Southend borough council in January 2008 for highway repairs to prevent damage occurring to rail and road links from a cliff slippage. The Department for Transport met with officials from the authority and their consultant prior to the submission of a business case by the authority seeking this funding. No record was made of the meeting which took place in Southend.
	The funding for this highway maintenance scheme will be provided under Section 31 of Local Government Act 2003.
	The Department for Transport has not conducted any specific research on cliff slippages that threaten rail and road links. The Highways Agency continues to monitor and provides support on research conducted on chalk cliff stability. Current research is of a localised nature e.g. cliff monitoring initiatives being carried out in the Brighton and Hove District. The Highways Agency have identified that there may be future collaboration opportunities for research in this field available through the INTERREG programme (interested parties include Brighton and Hove City Council, Brighton University, Leeds University and Chalk Rock Ltd).
	Government resilience policy for events which result from incidents of instability are a matter for the Department for Communities and Local Government (CLG). Southend borough council have not discussed cliff stabilisation issues with CLG recently.

Departmental Written Questions

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what methodology his Department used to determine whether answers to questions in the formulation if he will set out with statistical information related as directly as possible to the tabling hon. Member's constituency the effects on that constituency of his Department's policies since 1997 could be provided without incurring disproportionate cost; and if he will make a statement.

Sadiq Khan: The information used by the Department in responding to these questions was readily available on the Department's or the local authorities' websites or from the Government offices for the regions. The risk of incurring disproportionate cost did not therefore arise.

East London Line

Simon Hughes: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what representations his Department has received from  (a) the Mayor of London and  (b) Lewisham Council's Executive Mayor on funding a new station at Surrey Canal Road on the extended East London Line.

Sadiq Khan: The Department for Transport has received a number of representations from Transport for London, the Mayor of London and the Mayor of Lewisham in relation to the proposed new station at Surrey Canal Road. Transport for London and Lewisham have also submitted a business case in relation to the new station.
	Officials at the Department continue to discuss this business case with officials from Transport for London and Lewisham council.

East London Line

Simon Hughes: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport whether his Department has informed  (a) Transport for London and  (b) Lewisham Council that it will contribute to the funding of a new station at Surrey Canal Road on the extended East London Line.

Sadiq Khan: The business case for the proposed new station at Surrey Canal Road was submitted by Transport for London and Lewisham council late last year. The Department for Transport had a number of concerns with the business case provided and officials have been discussing these issues with both parties.

East London Line

Simon Hughes: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what assessment his Department has made of the demand projections made by Transport for London for the proposed new station at Surrey Canal Road on the extended East London Line.

Sadiq Khan: The business case and the demand projections for the proposed new station at Surrey Canal road were provided by Transport for London. Some concerns have been noted with regard to the projected demand levels at the station when compared with other neighbouring stations.
	The specific concern was that projected demand levels at the station were similar to or higher than other stations in established residential and shopping locations with significantly higher levels of train service, such as New Cross Gate and Peckham Rye.

East London Line

Simon Hughes: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what process his Department is undertaking to evaluate the case for a new station at Surrey Canal Road on the extended East London Line; and if he will make a statement.

Sadiq Khan: The Department for Transport is assessing the business case submitted by Transport for London and Lewisham council to ensure that it is robust; that it is based on realistic future population and employment forecasts; and that it accords with the appraisal criteria used for all transport schemes that the Department is asked to fund. It is important that this process is carried out to ensure that taxpayers' money is being used effectively and that the proposed benefits will be realised.
	The appraisal criteria, Webtag, is available on the Department for Transport's website at:
	http://www.dft.gov.uk/webtag/index.php

First Capital Connect

Robert Wareing: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what recent representations he has received on the operation of First Capital Connect; and whether he has made a recent assessment of the merits of withdrawing its franchise and taking its operations into public ownership.

Chris Mole: A number of representations have been received regarding the operation of First Capital Connect from Members of Parliament and passengers.
	Since 18 January 2010, when First Capital Connect's full timetable was reinstated, we have continued to monitor performance closely and the indication is that First Capital Connect is returning to pre-disruption levels of service.
	To date, no Event of Default, as set out in the Franchise Agreement has occurred.

Heathrow Airport: Noise

Justine Greening: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what the total  (a) area and  (b) population was within the (i) 57, (ii) 60, (iii) 63, (iv) 66, (v) 69 and (vi) 72 dBA noise contours at Heathrow Airport in each year from 2000 to 2009.

Paul Clark: The following statistics have been extracted from the annual aircraft noise contour reports covering Heathrow airport, which are available on the Department's website. They relate to the actual modal split contours. Standard contours-based on a 20 year average of east/west splits-are also available in the reports.
	
		
			  Leq level dBA  Area sq km  Population 
			  2000   
			 57 135.6 275,200 
			 60 78.7 138,700 
			 63 48.2 71,900 
			 66 30.9 29,200 
			 69 19.0 11,500 
			 72 10.2 3,100 
			
			  2001   
			 57 117.4 240,400 
			 60 68.1 108,000 
			 63 41.2 54,900 
			 66 25.5 21,500 
			 69 14.1 6,800 
			 72 7.1 1,500 
			
			  2002   
			 57 126.9 258,300 
			 60 71.9 122,600 
			 63 43.8 64,200 
			 66 28.7 29,300 
			 69 16.4 8,600 
			 72 8.4 2,900 
			
			  2003   
			 57 126.9 263,700 
			 60 71.1 128,600 
			 63 43.8 64,600 
			 66 28.1 28,800 
			 69 15.6 8,000 
			 72 8.3 2,500 
			
			  2004   
			 57 117.4 239,700 
			 60 66.7 105,300 
			 63 40.3 55,900 
			 66 24.4 21,000 
			 69 13.3 5,700 
			 72 6.5 1,500 
			
			  2005   
			 57 117.2 251,700 
			 60 64.4 110,500 
			 63 39.1 51,800 
			 66 23.7 16,400 
			 69 12.4 3,900 
			 72 6.5 800 
			
			  2006   
			 57 117.4 258,000 
			 60 63.9 110,200 
			 63 38.4 51,200 
			 66 23.3 15,900 
			 69 11.9 3,600 
			 72 6.4 700 
			
			  2007   
			 57 119.6 251,900 
			 60 65.3 100,400 
			 63 37.6 45,100 
			 66 23.1 16,200 
			 69 12.2 3,700 
			 72 6.4 700 
			
			  2008( 1)   
			 57 123.1 268,450 
			 60 66.2 103,650 
			 63 37.7 47,100 
			 66 22.8 15,950 
			 69 11.8 3,900 
			 72 6.1 650 
			 (1) Contour reports for 2000-07 contain population figures rounded to nearest 100. In 2008 population figures were provided to nearest 50. 
		
	
	Figures for 2009 will be published as soon as they are available.

Hotels

Nick Hurd: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport how many and what proportion of all hotel bookings made by his Department were made through the Expotel facility in the last year for which figures available.

Chris Mole: Department for Transport (central) made 2,328 bookings for overnight accommodation through Expotel in 2008-09, Highways Agency made 2,937 and Maritime and Coastguard Agency made 145. In each case bookings made by other means are not recorded centrally so the information defining Expotel bookings as a proportion of the total could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	In the same period Driving Standards Agency (DSA) made 187 bookings through Expotel, amounting to 0.9 per cent. of the DSA total, and Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) made 4,998 such bookings representing 94.08 per cent. of the DVLA total.
	Government Car and Despatch Agency, Vehicle Certification Agency and Vehicle and Operator Services Agency could provide this information only at disproportionate cost.

Lorry Drivers: Licensing

Grant Shapps: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Peterborough of 15 March 2010,  Official Report, column 621W, on the Traffic Commissioners, how many heavy goods licences have been amended or revoked following representations from local authorities in the last 12 months.

Paul Clark: From April 2009 to date the traffic commissioners have reviewed six goods vehicle operator's licences under section 30 of the Goods Vehicles (Licensing of Operators) Act 1995 as a result of complaints received from local authorities and/or local residents. Of these, four resulted in licences being continued with amendments and two were allowed to continue without change.

Official Cars: Expenditure

Grant Shapps: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what the cost was of providing Ministerial cars in each of the last five years.

Paul Clark: Costs to Departments of ministerial cars are reported annually to Parliament by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Transport through written ministerial statement and are available in the Libraries of the House.

Railways: Construction

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport 
	(1)  what the  (a) capital and  (b) revenue expenditure will be on the extension to the High Speed 2 route to Leeds over the period of construction;
	(2)  what the estimated total  (a) capital and  (b) revenue expenditure will be on the High Speed 2 route from (i) London to Birmingham and (ii) London to Manchester over the period of construction;
	(3)  what estimated  (a) capital and  (b) revenue expenditure will be incurred for the 335 mile Y network proposed in the High Speed Rail Command Paper over the period of construction.

Chris Mole: HS2 Ltd estimate that the capital cost of construction of the recommended high speed rail line from London to West Midlands is between £15.8 billion and £17.4 billion. The estimated capital cost of construction for new lines from the West Midlands to the North West, and to Yorkshire via the East Midlands, is £5.4-5.8 billion (depending on routeing at Manchester) and £5.8 billion, respectively. All figures are in 2009 prices, include risk and optimum bias, and exclude rolling stock costs.
	Unlike the London to the West Midlands cost estimate, those for the legs north of the West Midlands are not based on engineered routes. HS2 Ltd has been asked to carry out similar detailed planning work on route options from the West Midlands to Manchester and Leeds, to be completed in summer 2011, with a view to consulting the public early in 2012.
	Estimates of revenue expenditure during construction would be developed at a later stage were the Government to decide to proceed following public consultation.

Railways: Construction

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what invitations the Secretary of State has received from hon. Members to speak in their constituencies on High Speed Two since 1 March 2010; and  (a) when and  (b) in what form each such invitation was received.

Chris Mole: The Secretary of State has received a number of requests, both verbal and written, from a number of sources, including hon. Members.

Railways: Construction

Jeremy Wright: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport when he expects to receive the results of the further work he has asked HS2 Limited to carry out on the proposed high-speed rail route alignment near Stoneleigh, Warwickshire; and in respect of which sections of that route the further work is being undertaken.

Chris Mole: As set out in the Secretary of State's letter dated 18 March to HS2 Ltd., a copy of which is available in the Libraries of the House and on the Department's website at:
	www.dft.gov.uk
	HS2 Ltd. will report to the Government by the end of August, in preparation for the formal public consultation in the autumn.

Taxis: Guide Dogs

Neil Gerrard: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport if he will make it his policy to collect through his Department's surveys of licensing authorities data on the number of taxi and private hire drivers with exemptions from statutory duties to carry guide and other assistance dogs.

Sadiq Khan: These data are already collected from local authorities in our biennial local authority taxi survey. Figures have not been included in any publication but are available on request.

Ambulance Services: Greater London

Justine Greening: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what the average time taken for an ambulance to reach a Category A emergency was in each London borough in each year since 2000;
	(2)  how ambulance services in each London borough were set  (a) category A eight,  (b) category A 19 and  (c) category B 19 minute response targets in each year since 2000;
	(3)  how many times an ambulance service  (a) did not meet the eight minute response target and  (b) took over 15 minutes to respond to a Category A emergency in each London borough in each year since 2000;
	(4)  what the average response time was for  (a) air ambulances,  (b) road ambulances and  (c) rapid response vehicles in each London borough in each year since 2000.

Mike O'Brien: The Department does not collect information on average response times to emergency calls by national health service ambulance trusts.
	The data that the Department does collect on ambulance response times is published on an annual basis in the statistical bulletin, "Ambulance services, England". These documents have already been placed in the Library and are available on the Information Centre for health and social care website:
	www.ic.nhs.uk/pubs
	All ambulance trusts are required to meet the same national response time standards. Category A calls (those presenting conditions that may be immediately life threatening) should be responded to within eight minutes in 75 per cent. of cases and Category B calls (those conditions that are serious but not immediately life threatening) should be responded to within 19 minutes in 95 per cent. of cases.
	The Department only collects national data at ambulance trust level, with strategic health authorities as the local headquarters of the NHS, and primary care trusts as commissioners, having the responsibility for ensuring that national response time standards are delivered and maintained by trusts. This may mean that trusts locally will look at performance data below ambulance trust level, but whether and how the NHS does this is for each region to decide and manage locally.

Ambulance Services: Standards

Shailesh Vara: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he made of the number of patients in  (a) North West Cambridgeshire constituency,  (b) the Cambridgeshire Primary Care Trust area,  (c) the Peterborough Primary Care Trust area and  (d) England who were attended to within (i) 10, (ii) 30, (iii) 60 and (iv) 120 minutes of requesting an ambulance in each of the last five years.

Mike O'Brien: The Department does not collect response time data of ambulance services in the format requested, and has therefore not made an estimate of the number of patients who were attended within 10, 30, 60 and 120 minutes of requesting an ambulance.
	The data that the Department does collect on ambulance response time is in accordance with the national response time targets and these are published on an annual basis in the statistical bulletin, Ambulance Services, England. These documents have already been placed in the Library and on the Information for health and social care website at:
	www.ic.nhs.uk/statistics-and-data-collections/audits-and-performance/ambulance

Autism: Drugs

Michael Meacher: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what procedures are in place to ensure that adults with autism or special needs in care homes are asked whether they wish their next of kin to be informed when a course of powerful drugs is prescribed for them.

Phil Hope: There are no procedures that apply uniquely to adults with autism or special needs.
	Adults with autism or special needs should be assessed to determine whether they have the capacity to consent to treatment. Where a person has been assessed as having the capacity to consent to treatment, it is up to the patient to decide whether they wish to inform any family members or discuss the treatment with family members. It would be inappropriate for staff at a care home or for health professionals to discuss such matters with the family, as this would be a breach of confidentiality.
	If a person does not have the capacity to understand and to decide whether to consent or not, then health professionals have to take a "Best Interests" decision. The process is described in the Mental Capacity Act (MCA) Code of Practice, and requires professionals to follow certain steps.
	The Mental Capacity Act places a duty on health professionals to consult other people close to a person who lacks capacity on decisions affecting the person. Under section 4(7) of the MCA, health professionals have a duty to take into account the views of anyone involved in caring for the person and anyone interested in their welfare (for example family carers, other close relatives.) as part of a "Best Interests" decision. Therefore, the family should be consulted where the treatment is being made under a "Best Interests" decision because the person lacks capacity.

Cancer

John Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether he plans to publish one year survival figures for cancer by primary care trust for  (a) 2006,  (b) 2007 and  (c) 2008.

Ann Keen: The "Cancer Reform Strategy: Achieving local implementation-second annual report" published on 1 December 2009 includes one year survival figures for breast, colorectal and lung cancer, by primary care trust (PCT). A copy has been placed in the Library. 2006 was the latest period for which PCT survival data was available.
	The National Cancer Intelligence Network will produce annual primary care trust updates on one-year survival. 2007 data will be published in the 2010 "Cancer Reform Strategy" annual report.

Dental Services: Leeds

Greg Mulholland: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much funding he intends to allocate for the provision of NHS dental care in Leeds in each of the next three years; what plans he has to increase access to NHS dentistry in Leeds; and how many people are registered with an NHS dentist in  (a) the city of Leeds and  (b) West Yorkshire.

Ann Keen: We have invested a record £2 billion in dentistry and set up a national access programme to help the national health service deliver its commitment to provide access for all who seek it by 2011.
	Access to NHS dentistry is growing. The latest data shows that 1,230,000 more patients accessed NHS services in the 24 months ending December 2009 than compared to the 24 months ending June 2008.
	We have also accepted the recommendations made by the independent review of NHS dentistry, to further improve access and quality in the long term, and will pilot these recommendations thoroughly.
	Leeds Primary Care Trust (PCT) will receive a funding allocation of £32,428,000 in 2010-11 for primary dental care services. This is net of income from dental charges paid by patients, which is retained locally to supplement the resources available for dentistry. It will be for individual PCTs to judge whether additional investment is required. As a result of lower NHS service tariff prices following the incorporation of an additional 0.5 per cent. efficiency requirement, PCTs have headroom in their general NHS 2010-11 budgets to fund additional growth in dentistry and other services according to local development priorities.
	Funding allocations to PCTs for 2011-12 and 2012-13 will be finalised as part of the next Spending Review. Funding for dentistry will be included within PCT unified funding allocations from 2011-12.
	Information on how many people are registered with an NHS dentist is not available in the format requested.
	Under the new dental contractual arrangements, introduced on 1 April 2006, patients do not have to be registered with an NHS dentist to receive NHS care. The closest equivalent measure to 'registration' is the number of patients receiving NHS dental services ('patients seen') over a 24 month period. However, this is not directly comparable to the registration data for earlier years.
	Information on the number of patients seen in the previous 24 months, in England, is available in Table D1 of Annex 3 of the NHS Dental Statistics, Quarter 2: 30 September 2009 report. Information is available at quarterly intervals, from 31 March 2006 to 31 December 2009 and is provided by PCT and by strategic health authority.
	This report, published on 23 February 2010, has already been placed in the Library and is also available on the NHS Information Centre website at:
	www.ic.nhs.uk/pubs/dentalstats0910q2

Departmental Marketing

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much his Department and its agencies spent on promotional items carrying the Department's branding and logo in the last five years; and what those items were.

Phil Hope: The Department advises against the use of departmental branding on promotional items, other than on occasional low value items to support specific internal initiatives or conferences. Any such items are procured by individual teams within the Department and the Department does not hold central records on which items were procured and at what cost. To provide this information would therefore incur disproportionate cost.
	The two agencies that receive funding from the Department are the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) and the NHS Purchasing and Supply Agency (NHS PASA).
	We are informed by both NHS PASA and MHRA that they have not produced or issued any products featuring departmental branding in the last five years.

Eating Disorders: Young People

Linda Gilroy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how many young people were treated for eating disorders by  (a) general practitioners,  (b) children and adolescent mental health specialists and  (c) other primary care specialists in the last 12 months;
	(2)  what steps his Department takes to assist parents and carers of young people with eating disorders.

Phil Hope: Information on the number of young people treated for eating disorders is not collected centrally.
	We take the issue of eating disorders, especially among young people, very seriously. Services for people with eating disorders are available throughout the country in both primary and secondary care. We asked the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) to publish guidelines for practitioners on core interventions for these disorders which it did in 2004. These guidelines will be reviewed in 2011.
	We are also providing funding worth £131,000 for beat's (the eating disorder's charity) Pathway to Recovery project which provides a support network for people who have recovered from an eating disorder.

Mental Health Services: Young Offender Institutions

Justine Greening: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 19 March 2007,  Official Report, column 678W, on young offenders: mental health services, how many young offenders at each institution were referred to  (a) acute and  (b) non-acute local child and adolescent mental health services in each year from 2002 to 2009.

Phil Hope: The information is not collected centrally.
	Transfer of the responsibility for commissioning health services in young offender institutions, and adult prisons in England, was fully devolved to the national health service by April 2006. NHS primary care trusts work with their partner establishments to develop a comprehensive health needs assessment of the population and commission on the basis of that need.
	All young offender institutions in England holding under 18s have access to comprehensive Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services as defined in the National Service Framework (NSF) for children.
	The document "Promoting Mental Health for children held in secure settings: A Framework for Commissioning Services" (DH March 2007) was developed to support primary care trusts with custodial units in their area to plan, commission and deliver requirements as per the Children's NSF.

Nurses: Schools

Daniel Rogerson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he expects his Department's target for one qualified school nurse to be allocated to each secondary school and its cluster of primary schools to be met.

Ann Keen: Working in partnership across heath and education we have made good progress in expanding the qualified school nursing work force.
	Linking primary schools to their nearest secondary school gives about 3,000 clusters in England. The 2009 work force census showed there were 4,177 (headcount) qualified nurses working in school health services, an increase of 1,768 or 73 per cent. since 2004. Of these, there were 1,620 (headcount) nurses with the post registration school nurse qualification. This is an increase of 764 or 89 per cent. since 2004.

Patients: Safety

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the number of  (a) fatal and  (b) other patient safety incidents in the latest year for which figures were available; and how many such incidents of each type there were in that year.

Ann Keen: The following table, supplied by the National Patient Safety Agency (NPSA), sets out the number of incidents reported in England by degree of harm by incident type that occurred for the period July 2008 to June 2009.
	
		
			  Incidents of harm reported to NPSA by incident type, July 2008 to June 2009 - England 
			   Number of incidents 
			  Incident type  No h arm  Low  Moderate  Severe  Death  Total 
			  England   
			 Other 21,298 9,337 3,127 739 1,670 36,171 
			 Infection Control Incident 8,458 4,148 2,798 705 354 16,463 
			 Implementation of care and ongoing monitoring/review 16,387 14,803 6,098 948 156 38,392 
			 Self-harming behaviour 11,057 15,256 2,800 367 430 29,910 
			 Treatment, procedure 54,451 27,643 12,240 1,362 406 96,102 
			 Clinical assessment (including diagnosis, scans, tests, assessments) 31,252 7,170 2,702 538 175 41,837 
			 Patient abuse (by staff/third party) 4,200 1,291 326 71 15 5,903 
			 Access, admission, transfer, discharge (including missing patient) 56,118 14,389 4,756 520 126 75,909 
			 Consent, communication, confidentiality 28,254 5,134 1,359 205 49 35,001 
			 Medical device/equipment 21,353 5,037 1,443 153 43 28,029 
			 Infrastructure (including staffing, facilities, environment) 44,720 7,909 2,856 269 43 55,797 
			 Patient accident 185,266 103,471 11,936 1,358 179 302,210 
			 Medication 73,950 13,060 3,019 351 59 90,439 
			 Disruptive, aggressive behaviour 26,303 11,915 1,362 98 18 39,696 
			 Documentation (including records, identification) 47,296 5,355 886 89 12 53,638 
			 Total 630,363 245,918 57,708 7,773 3,735 945,497

Brussels Forum 2010

Dai Davies: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills who will represent the UK at the Brussels Forum 2010.

Ian Lucas: The UK will be represented by senior officials from the Department of Business, Innovation and Skills and from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

Competition Commission: Public Relations

Nick Hurd: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills pursuant to the answer of 15 December 2009,  Official Report, column 1091W, on the Competition Commission: public relations, what briefing documents Euro RSCG Apex has produced for the Competition Commission in the last three years.

Kevin Brennan: Euro RSCG Apex Communications has not produced any briefing documents for the Competition Commission. As detailed in the previous answer referred to Euro RSCG Apex Communications has provided occasional advice to the Commission over the past three years, mainly in relation to stakeholder communications. Such advice has normally been provided through meetings or by commenting on particular documents.

Departmental Buildings

Philip Hammond: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills whether his Department provides subsidised gym facilities for its staff.

Patrick McFadden: The gym facilities in the Department are funded by subscriptions of members' of the Department's Sports and Social Association or Civil Service Sports Council.

Industrial Development Associations

Bob Neill: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what the timetable is for regional advisory investment panels to replace regional industrial development boards.

Rosie Winterton: As stated in the annual report to Parliament under the Industrial Development Act 1982 report for year ending 31 March 2009 (HC 668), it is expected that the regional development agencies will appoint new advisory panels to replace the regional industrial development boards by the end of the current financial year.

Small Businesses: Borrowing

Lorely Burt: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent discussions he has had with representatives of high street banks on the cost of borrowing for small businesses.

Rosie Winterton: The Department continues to collect SME lending data from the four main banking groups (Lloyds, Barclays, HSBC, RBS) on a monthly basis. The headline messages from the bank data returns-including cost of finance-are discussed at the Small Business Finance Forum, which meets quarterly, is chaired by my noble Friend the Minister of State for Trade, Investment and Small Business and attended by representatives from the high street banks as well as key small business representative bodies.
	The Department's data shows that generally, the cost of finance remains lower than in 2007 due to falls in the base rate, despite increases in bank margins. Fixed rate finance remains lower than in 2007 and 2008, and margins on variable rate finance in October 2009 remain at comparable levels to previous months.

Departmental Food

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if he will take steps to ensure that the meat and dairy products procured by his Department and its non-departmental bodies are free range or produced to standards equivalent to those of the RSPCA Freedom Food scheme.

Barbara Follett: The Department for Communities and Local Government (CLG) and its non-departmental public bodies encourage its catering contractors to follow the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs' (DEFRA) guidance for Public Sector Food Procurement Initiatives.
	The initiative aims to deliver a world class sustainable farming and food sector. It also provides data on the domestically produced food used by, and supplied to, Government Departments. CLG reports to DEFRA on the procurement of food, catering services and catering equipment, indicating the proportion of United Kingdom produce supplied from farm assured, organic, fair trade tea and coffee and seasonal produce. The reports are published on the "Raising Awareness" page of the Public Sector Food Procurement Initiatives website at:
	http://www.defra.gov.uk/foodfarm/policy/publicsectorfood/awareness.htm

Housing: Conferences

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether his Department and its agencies sent representatives to each of the last three MIPIM international property conferences.

Barbara Follett: In 2007, 2008 and 2009, the MIPIM conference was attended by the following officials from Communities and Local Government:
	 2007
	Director general, Policy Programmes and Innovation.
	 2008
	Director general, Housing and Planning
	Director general, Tackling Disadvantage
	Director general, Finance and Corporate Services.
	 2009
	Director general, Housing and Planning
	Director general, Regions and Communities.
	No departmental Ministers or officials have attended the MIPIM conference in 2010.
	The Department's agencies are The Fire Service College, Planning Inspectorate (PINS) and the QEII Conference Centre. None of these agency attended MIPIM in 2007, 2008 or 2009.

Non-domestic Rates

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many and what proportion of eligible firms claimed small business rate relief in each local authority billing area in the latest period for which figures are available.

Barbara Follett: The Department's report 'Small Business Rate Relief-improving evidence on eligibility and take-up' was published on December 9 2009. It estimates that, of the approximately 1.2 million non-domestic properties in England which fall below the current rateable value (RV) thresholds for SBRR, around 575,000 are occupied by eligible small businesses. This report has been validated by an independent peer review and is available at:
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/
	The methodology used in the report only applies to England as a whole. There fore, it is not possible to estimate the proportion of eligible firms claiming SBRR in each local authority.
	However, new experimental statistics on the number of hereditaments in England claiming SBRR published on the Communities and Local Government website on 252 February 2010, show that 462,000 of them were benefiting from SBRR on 31 December 2008.
	By applying that figure to the eligibility estimates made for the 2005 rating list it is estimated that around 80 per cent. of eligible hereditaments in England were claiming SBRR in 2008-09-see table 1.
	Relief granted to small businesses has been increasing since SBRR was introduced-from £202 million in 2005-06 to £298 million in 2008-09. This represents a real terms increase of 34 per cent. Furthermore in 2008-09, 92 per cent. of the total relief that would be paid if all those estimated to be eligible were to claim, was actually being paid-see table 2.
	This statistical release is available at:
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/corporate/statistics/sbrrfeb2010
	
		
			  Table 1: Take-up of SBRR-numbers claiming 
			   2006-07  2007-08  2008-09 
			 Number of hereditaments actually claiming SBRR (thousand) 396 433 462 
			 Number of hereditaments estimated to be occupied by eligible small businesses (thousand) 575 575 575 
			 
			 Percentage of estimated eligible actually claiming 69 75 80 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2: Take-up of SBRR 2005-06 to 2008-09-relief 
			   2005-06  2006-07  2007-08  2008-09 
			 Total relief that would be paid out if all properties estimated to be occupied by eligible small businesses were to claim(1) (£ million) 
			 Relief actually claimed (£ million) 202 237 259 298 
			  
			 Percentage take-up(2) 69 78 83 92 
			 (1) For details of how this estimate was derived please see the report 'Small business rate relief-improving evidence on eligibility and take-up: Methodology'. (2) Percentage of total relief, which would be paid if all eligible small businesses claimed it, that was actually paid.